Solitaire Glossary

You do not have to know everything. Get informed about Klondike Solitaire quickly with this handy alphabetical overview! To save you time, we collected the most important terms in this glossary.

Custom rules: When creating a table at the Solitaire Palace, you get to set up the game as you please. You can choose from the rules Turn Three, Joker, Undo Off, Max 3 Cycles, Fast, Relaxed, Easy, Double, Easthaven, and Game of Nothing.

Deck: This term refers to a complete set of playing cards. In Klondike Solitaire, this means 52 traditionally French-suited playing cards with each of the 13 ranks occurring once per suit.

Double: Play with 104 instead of 52 cards using this custom rule.

Easthaven: This custom rule switches the game to Easthaven, a relative of Klondike Solitaire. The modifications are few but significant: The seven tableau piles hold three cards each, and 31 instead of 24 cards are in the stock. There is no waste. Instead, one stock card is dealt to each tableau pile automatically in one go. Scoring varies in this game mode as well.

Easy: Using this custom tule, you can now place any card on empty tableau piles. In standard Klondike Solitaire, only Kings are allowed there.

Fast: This custom rule shortens the standard time for solving the game in one round.

Foundation: This is the area with four empty panels at the beginning of the round. These are the spaces for your separately sequenced suits. The correct order of the foundation sequence is Ace on the bottom, then 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King on the top. By filling all four foundation piles, you solve the game.

Game of Nothing: When enabling this custom rule, the table is not ranked for the league.

Joker: With this custom rule, each player receives three Jokers: An additional button showing the Joker symbol appears on the playing field. When using a Joker, a selected foundation pile will automatically receive a matching card. This card will be moved there from any position on the playing field. When a round is solved, unused Jokers add bonus points to your total score.

Klondike: This is the Solitaire variant you get to play at the Solitaire Palace by default. You can switch to the variant Easthaven using custom rules. Check out the Spider Palace for Spider and Scorpion.

Max 3 Cycles: When using this custom rule, the stock can only be turned three times. Solving a game gets more difficult this way: If you cannot place all the stock cards in the tableau or foundation within the three stock cycles, there is no more chance to solve the game. Of course, you can carry on and collect points until no more moves are possible.

Multiplayer mode: At the Solitaire Palace, there is no need for solitary playing unless you prefer it. You can play one or several rounds at tables with fellow players. There, each player starts with the same composition of cards in the tableau and stock. Since each move is scored, solving the game is comparable, and a winner can be determined. Solving a game first and the number of moves it takes you to solve the game affect the scoring, too.

Patience: Solitaire is a type of patience game. The word is derived from the French language and might point to the game’s probable origin as an exercise in patience. Patience games are commonly referred to as solitaire games. Either are umbrella terms for many related but different games. At the Solitaire Palace, you can play Klondike and Easthaven.

Ranks: There are 13 ranks in Solitaire. Their descending order is King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and Ace. You must follow this order when completing the sequences in the tableau. But when placing cards in the foundation, you need to follow the ascending order.

Relaxed: When using the custom rule Relaxed, all cards of the tableau pile are all revealed form the beginning. This way, the game is easier and more tranquil: You can see where crucial cards are and thus free them strategically.

Round: At a table in the Solitaire Palace, several rounds can be played. Each round’s scores are collected to determine the total score and winner of the table. A round ends either after one player placed all cards onto the foundation piles, when no player can make any more moves, or when the time is up. Each player receives their gained points up to this moment as their round score.

Scoring: Any move in a round of Solitaire adds or subtracts points from your score. Depending on how efficiently you solve the game, you might receive more or fewer points. You will also receive the points for your moves if you could not solve the game in a round. Through scoring, playing the same game becomes comparable: Compete with fellow players.

Sequence: A sequence is a complete and correctly sorted group of cards with each rank occurring once. In Solitaire, the sequences are sorted differently in the tableau and the foundation: In the tableau, the base card must be King, and the rest follows in descending order of ranks. The cards must be of alternating red and black or black and red suits here. In the foundation, the base card must be Ace, and the rest follows in ascending order of ranks. The cards in one sequence must be of the same suit here.

Solitaire: See Patience.

Stock: At the beginning of a round of Klondike Solitaire, 24 cards remain face down in the top left of the playing field as the stock. During play, you can move one card at a time from the stock to the waste for revealing the card and potentially use it. Once the stock is empty, the waste becomes the stock again. Playing with the basic rules, you can draw as many cards as you want.

Suit: Klondike and Easthaven are traditionally played with French-suited playing cards. Thus, the suits are Clubs, Spades, Hearts, and Diamonds.

Table: At the Solitaire Palace, you can play Klondike Solitaire at different tables. They are limited to specific amounts of rounds and players. A table ends when a predefined number of rounds is finished. Different custom rules can be activated for the tables. When entering the Palace, choose a table that looks good to you.

Tableau: At the beginning of a round, 28 cards are dealt to the tableau in seven piles. The first one contains one card, the other six piles each hold one more card than the previous pile. Each top card is revealed. Here, you can add cards from the waste and move cards from pile to pile to sort the cards gradually.

Tableau piles: These are the seven piles of cards that are filled at the beginning of the round. Move the revealed cards from pile to pile to form sequences gradually. When you remove all revealed cards from one pile, the new top card is revealed. You can only move a card from one pile to another if the moving card is one rank lower than the target card, no gaps allowed. The correct order of a tableau sequence is King at the bottom, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and Ace on top. The cards must also be of alternating red and black suits. If they follow these criteria, moving several cards at once is possible, too. If a tableau pile is empty, you can only place Kings there. Revealed tableau cards can be moved to the foundation.

Turn Three: Three instead of one card will be placed on the stock in one go. This makes the game more challenging since only the top card of the waste can be used.

Undo Off: Disable the undo feature with this custom rule and make the game more challenging.

Waste: At the beginning of a round, the waste is empty. Cards from the stock can be revealed in this area. If a waste card would fit in the tableau or the foundation, it can be moved there. If not, the next stock card can be moved to the waste. Only the top card of the waste can be moved. Once the stock is empty, the waste becomes the stock again.